Everyone who comes to live in the States, makes some space for change. But the most radical of them, is the 'weekend concept'.
Parties of all kinds - birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, get together's- wait for the weekend. You wait for the weekend to meet people, even if they live next door. You make acquaintances, and you tell them 'We should meet one weekend'. Or you talk to friends over the phone and say 'let's catch up over the weekend, I am awfully busy right now'. You promise your mom to spend atleast one hour on the phone with her on saturday morning.You depend on those two days that come at the end of the work week to do your shopping be it groceries or clothes, books or gadgets, food or service.
It takes a while getting used to this weekend culture, but you don't have a choice. Your work week starts Monday morning anywhere between 4-7 am and ends at Friday night somewhere between 5-8 pm. For me, college means I come home only after 10.30. Neither do you have the time to entertain during the week, nor is there anybody to give you company - even if you are a stay-at-home mom, a working-from-home dad (which is worse, I tell you) or a little kid. For, even the little kiddos birthday parties, sleepovers and pizza times are delegated to the saturday-sunday timeframe.
I miss being able to head to the bazaar whenever I want to - you still can go to the mall here during the week, but the best deals are over the weekend. They are smart. They know when people will be more inclined to shop. And the suggestion isn't lost on you. Heck yeah! I can wait for the weekend to find me a deal worth the wait.
I abhor the long queues that greet you ever place you go to during the weekend. If you are lucky, you won't get the express check out lane intruded upon by people with multiple carts loaded with tons of stuff. Otherwise, you have wait till they finish checking out the stuff for the whole family and then some, before you can buy your two packs of milk and bread. Oh Wait! Some weekends, there won't be enough milk to buy either. And you have to wait for them to restock - of course, which I never do. I hate having to pay and wait.
Even God has to wait for you to make time over the weekend to pay Him a visit. And considering the temple I go to is a 45-minute drive that drags and become 60+ over the weekend, oh yeah. Unlike The Holy Hills of Tirumala Tirupathi, Lord Venkateswara in America sees an influx of people almost every weekend. His Hundi multiplies many fold in the span of those 48 hours. The choicest naivedyams are reserved for the weekend too!
I miss the comfort of the temple tradition. On Ugadi, I so badly wanted to listen to the panchanga sravanam. I could not attend Sri Sita Rama Kalyanam on Sri Rama Navami. And I never could step into the temple during the holy month of Dushera.
Ah! The joy if a festival falls over the weekend!! In India I was one of them who whined about it - loss of a public holiday. But in America it is the gain of a holy-day, a day when I can actually visit the temple during the auspicious hours and not days later.
I was talking to my sister, the one who lives in India, and my heart grew jealous, when she recounted how busy her week was with parties and get together's and lots of shopping. My nephews are enjoying their vacation now, and they are having so much fun all through the week, and relaxing over the weekend.Of course, a picture in contrast, my other sister who lives in America, is hard to get hold of over the weekend - she has a huge circle of friends, and is always always busy every weekend with stuff involving meeting, eating, and shopping.
Now, my present student life often involves taking exams over the weekend. I need not paint a picture of how awful it has been for my husband.
Sigh. That is the way of our weekend life.
Another week starts. And the next weekend is only 5 days away. :D
6 comments:
Ro, the week end culture is not just in STates...its the same in almost all the country other than ur home country...Its just that, once u r out of ur country, then u r into business..u r there to work and earn..so u give ur best at work...so naturally u r tired...during week days..
So u keep things for weekends...same is the case with me too...after long drives to and fro work and the tension at office, I would hate if I have to go out for ANYTHING...so naturally, everything is postponed to NEXT week end...and thus week end also become hectic..and before we know, the week day would start...
How I wish, we had only week ends..heheh!!!
Yes ,there is a lot of ditterence between the ways obtaining in India and here.Here things seem more disciplined and self regulated.Life tends to get mechanical here, a dull routine. But there is greater freedom there to indulge in what you like to do.You never know who will barge in unannounced in India unlike here.Each place has its charm and disadvantages.
It was nice to read your post
@J - I disagree. My friends in India have hectic work schedules too, but they are not hard pressed for time during the work week, like us. And I wasn't saying this happens only in US. it was just a comparision between India and US.
oh yeah. I do the postponing too. but in the end it comes back and bites you.
its called the end-of-the weekenditis. ;)
Well, I have mark my calanders for whole year to go for movie on monday or tuesday. I am managing that for last two years. and its fun... when you go to movie ..not much crowd no hush bush ..
:)
@KP - Oh yeah! my mother always made sure the room that was for entertaining such unexpected visitors, was always clean.
@Makk - hey.. that is a nice idea. but i think i do not enjoy the movies without the crowds ;) glad you came by.. you've been missing. :) hows it going?
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